Ferry Isle of Man - Liverpool

Isle of Man – Liverpool with Steam Packet Company

This route links Isle of Man with Liverpool, operated by Steam Packet Company. The two ferry terminals are about 125 kilometres (70 nautical miles) apart in a straight line. Use the search engine above for current timetables and fares, or use the Direct Ferries button at the top of the page to compare the sailings.

Founded in 1830, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company is the oldest continuously operating passenger shipping company in the world. Owned by the Isle of Man Government since 2018, it links Douglas with Heysham on the Manxman, and with Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin on the fast craft Manannan in season.

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man is small enough to cross in an hour and is best explored on its heritage railways. The Manx Electric Railway, which opened in stages from 1893, still runs Victorian carriages along the coast, and from Laxey the Snaefell Mountain Railway climbs to the summit of the island's highest peak. At Laxey, the Great Laxey Wheel, built in 1854 and nicknamed Lady Isabella, is the largest working waterwheel in the world, about 22 metres across. The whole island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and local custom says you should greet the fairies when you cross the Fairy Bridge.

Liverpool

The best view of Liverpool is from the water. The Mersey Ferries still cross between Pier Head, Seacombe and Woodside, with a commentary on a waterfront dominated by the Three Graces: the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building. The river has a place in a very different story too. In April 1918 two Mersey ferries, Iris and Daffodil, were sent to Belgium and took part in the Royal Navy's raid on Zeebrugge. More recently, in May 2023, the city hosted the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, which could not stage it after the Russian invasion. The Museum of Liverpool, beside the waterfront and free to enter, is a good way to fill the hours before a sailing.